Food Safety

Below is an article I wrote for a corporate flight attendant website, but it is an article that can benefit everyone, so I thought I’d share it.  Although it is written for flight attendants it is important to use the basics at home, especially if you live with small children or elderly folks.  They are the most susceptible to getting foodborne illnesses and the most at risk of dying from them. 

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One of the most important things to understand about food safety is that YOU are part of the chain that will lead to either the health or the harm of your passengers, crewmembers and yourself.  You never want to be in a situation where your passenger is taken from his/her business or vacation because of food that you served while they were on the airplane.  Not only that, but foodborne illness is a serious issue; not only will it make your passengers, crew members and yourself very sick, but it can be fatal. 

Since you are directly involved in the safety of your passengers’ food there are several things you can do to help protect your passengers, your crew members and yourself from foodborne illnesses. 

#1.  Always wear gloves, even if your company or passengers don’t require it. 

#2.  Never use food that smells or looks funny, even if it’s from a reputable caterer.

#3.  Always make sure food is heated to its proper temperature.  (The temperature is determined by how much heat is required to kill the pathogens that grow on that specific food.)  Most airline caterers cook food to 70% and then send the food to us to complete the cooking process on the airplane so that the food is not over cooked.  That is why this rule is crucial to the safety of those on board your aircraft.  Since caterers don’t cook the food to the required temperature it is imperative that you do.

USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

• Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook meat to higher temperatures.
• Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
• Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

It’s important to remember that when you are heating/cooking food that has different types of meat in it you must heat all the meat to the highest temperature required.  Also, if you are heating vegetables or sauces that have come into contact with uncooked meat (or meat that has not cooked to the proper temperature) you must heat the vegetable or sauce to the temp required for the meat it touched.

It’s recommended that you use a good quality digital thermometer for your food.  This is because the cheap thermometers with a dial have to be recalibrated often and for this reason they often misread temperatures.  This article explains which thermometers to purchase and how to use them.  It also has an in-depth chart of all the meats and seafood and their necessary internal temps. 

#4.  When storing uncooked food always store the food by putting the highest required temperature foods at the bottom.  For example, if I have raw vegetables, chicken and steak I would put the vegetables highest, then the beef, and then the chicken so that if one of the dishes drips onto another dish that dish will reach the required minimum temperature to kill any pathogens.  If I were to stack the chicken on top of the beef and chicken juice got into the beef dish, I would be serving unsafe food if I only heated the beef to the required one hundred forty-five degrees because the chicken juice needs to be heated to one hundred sixty-five degrees.

#5.  All food has what is called a “safe zone”.  Once heated to its proper temperature to kill any pathogens hot food must remain above one hundred forty degrees.  In the same way, any food served cold must remain below forty degrees.  However, the foods are only safe at this temperature for up to four hours.  After four hours anything not refrigerated must be thrown out.  This is why on an aircraft the food is generally only safe for a little while unless you put it on ice or use dry ice to keep your refrigerator cold.  I order three 3x5 pieces of dry ice with every catering order that I keep at the bottom of my refrigerator so that the air stays cool enough to keep the food safe.  If your flight is longer than four hours I would recommend adopting this practice. Let’s say you have a 10 hour red-eye and you plan to serve breakfast when your passengers wake up; if you have stored yogurt, eggs, bacon, etc. in your refrigerator, which only blows cool air, your food will have been unsafe for 6 to 7 hours before you serve it, depending on when you loaded the airplane. 

#6.   Know where your food is coming from.  If you are in a foreign country, make sure that you use safety precautions when ordering your food.  A good rule of thumb is if you are nervous about the water then you should also be nervous about the food.  If you can’t drink the water don’t order any fresh water fish.  Also, don’t eat any skin off fruits and vegetables and don’t eat peeled fruits and vegetables unless they have thick skins that don’t absorb water.  If you are unsure about the safety of the food, one option is to have your caterer from home freeze food and store it with dry ice to use while you are in other countries.  Just remember it will take time to thaw, so plan ahead for that.  Brochettes freeze well, as do most Italian dishes.  Talk to your caterer about foods they recommend for freezing and reheating.  Another thing to do is ask the caterers in foreign countries where they get their foods.  I was in a third world country one time and found out that the caterer imported his vegetables from reputable countries because he served so many aircraft from those countries.  As long as he was being honest, my passengers were safe to eat a salad from him.  

You can find more information for the countries you visit listed below.

http://safefoodinternational.org/regions.html

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/global.pdf  (This I just found, but I am printing it out so that I can refer to it from now on.)

#7.  Make sure your food is properly refrigerated while it is being delivered.  Find out each caterers method for keeping your food cool during the delivery process.  If they don’t have a method, ask them to fill zip-top bags with ice and put it in the bottom of the delivery boxes.  Also, make sure you instruct the caterer, hotel or restaurant to chill the food to below forty degrees before delivery. 

 

I want to summarize by encouraging you to educate yourself in the area of food safety, but to not let yourself become scared to order and serve food.  If you are ever in doubt of a country’s produce then just order all hot food and cook it to one hundred sixty-five degrees.  If a food item scares you then throw it out and serve the boxed soup and the packaged rice that you carry on board for this very reason.  You can also carry powdered milk as a stand-by for a really bad day.  Your passenger will thank you for looking out for their safety and well-being.

 

Safe flying and safe food handling,

A Great Place for Healthy Recipes

If you haven’t noticed I am taking a hiatus from blogging.  Someday I will share with you some of the great places I’ve been with my job, but for now I am working quietly as we really aren’t supposed to share the places my company travels. 

When I am not working I am consumed with our house in Ohio.  We have now refinished the original hardwood in the living room and dining room.  We have also put up new trim and chair rail in the dining room.  Right now I am busy staining all of the original crown molding, trim and doors with the same stain used on the floor.  It is looking gorgeous, but it’s a big job.  I have also painted half of the bathroom and all of the kitchen.  I have painted the trim in the bathroom and part of the kitchen.  Left to do is paint all the rooms and halls in the house that have not yet been painted, tile the bathroom and kitchen (Jason), add a tile backsplash in the kitchen (Jason) and possibly refinish the hardwood in the bedrooms.  We are basically remodeling the entire house, including changing out the vanity and fixtures in the bathroom (Jason).  The only thing we are leaving alone are the kitchen cabinets, which I am pretty sure I won’t decide to stain, but we’ll see.  So, since I don’t want to post pictures of the house until I have complete befores and afters there is not much to blog about. 

However, the reason for this post is that I have been spending an unusual amount of time at home the past couple of weeks and I will be home more in the next few weeks, so I have time to cook.  I was looking around Pinterest this morning and came across a blog called Kalyn’s Kitchen.  She does a lot of South Beach Diet recipes, so they are low-fat and low-carb.  For example, she came up with a mock lasagna.  It has sauce, meat, cheese and greens in it, but no pasta.  I have printed off several of her recipes to use this week.  I just thought I would share her blog so that if you are looking for healthy recipes you will have one more place to visit.

Kalyn's Kitchen

Kalyn's Kitchen - South Beach Diet Recipes 

Easy Peazy No-Bake Cheese Cake

I started making this recipe (my name for it) when I was in junior high.  I got it off the inside of a 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese Pkg, and I’ve been making it ever since.  It’s my quick and easy go-to recipe because it’s Easy to Remember, Easy to Fix, and I’ve never met a person who didn’t LOVE it.  

1 pkg cream cheese (fat free is a little runny, 1/3 less fat holds up, regular is more of a cheese cake consistency)

1 cup sugar (or Splenda)

1 tub whipped topping (fat free, light and regular - same as cream cheese)

1 ready made pie crust (not frozen)

(I use fat-free everything and Splenda for mine.  It’s not as firm, but everyone eats it if you tell them it’s virtually fat and sugar free.)

1.  Mix the first three ingredients together in a mixer.

2.  Add to pie crust.

3.  Chill and Serve.

You can serve it without topping, which I normally do.  Or, you can buy pie filling and serve it on top.  You can add fresh fruit, or strawberries that you’ve created a syrup for (see here for how to), or you can crush a candy bar and add that.  This was my choice on this particular occasion because they were in the pantry and I need to get rid of them.

  

EASY PEAZY!

Let me know what you think.

The Difference In Baking And Roasting

Let me preface this blog by saying that I consider myself a magazine junky.  Not because I buy or subscribe to every magazine out there and then skim it’s glossy pages.  It’s because I carefully handpick every single magazine that I buy and/or subscribe to.  Then, I read every single page from cover to cover.  I read the contributors list, I read the editor’s note (which is actually my favorite part), and I even read the ads.  

I recently became a subscriber of Food Network Magazine.  My first issue came in the mail a couple of weeks ago, but I saved it for this week, since I’m flying. 

(picture from foodnetwork.com)

If you didn’t know, it’s like a rule that flight attendants read magazines.  So, I couldn’t wait to delve into it.  I got in about 45 minutes total Sunday, and about an hour total yesterday.  I’m 2/3 of the way through it, and I’m loving it!  “What is there to read?” you ask.  THERE ARE RECIPES!  HUNDREDS OF RECIPES!  And I have read every one of them so far.  I read the intro, the ingredient list, the instructions and then the nutrition facts.  I love it!  However, (I’m finally getting to the point of all this) in my reading I have come to learn that I have no idea what is the difference in ROASTING and BAKING.  I have been thoroughly confused because they are saying, “roast the veggies at 400 degrees” and “bake the cake at 400 degrees”. 

So, I did some research.  And that my friends, is the difference.  According to Danilo Alfaro’s Article on About.com, both roasting and baking are called Dry-Heat Cooking Methods in which dry heat, rather than moisture, are what cook and brown the dishes.  (A covered dish in an oven is not considered dry-heat cooking because at that point it is the moisture from the food that is cooking the dish.)

Alfaro says:

Despite these similarities, roasting and baking can mean slightly different things depending on who you ask. Some chefs use the word "baking" only when speaking of bread, pastry and other bakery items. Some may use the word "roasting" only when referring to meats, poultry and vegetables, but use the term "baking" for fish and other seafood. Yet another distinction can be made with respect to temperature, with "roasting" implying greater heat and thus faster and more pronounced browning.

Well, there you have it.  However, from my reading of Food Network Magazine.  I have decided that the words can be used interchangeably, or at  least they are only different depending on what type of food is in the oven because there is definitely a recipe in there that calls for you to roast an item at 350 degrees.  This was the recipe that made me throw my hands up and finally sit down and figure out the difference. 

Now that you know the difference, I hope you all BAKE SOME VEGGIES and ROAST A CAKE today. 

A Match Made In Heaven

If there is one thing I have learned about left-overs it’s that if you don’t have everything you need to make a meal with them, then you might as well throw them out. 

Today is trash day at our house, so the first thing I did after Jason left for work was clean out the fridge.  (I leave old food in the fridge until trash day because at least it doesn’t smell when it’s in the fridge.)  I threw out almost everything, but I did find some left-over sausage gravy.  I realized that even if I wanted to eat it there were no biscuits in the house.  Call me spoiled, but I don’t eat sausage gravy over regular bread.)  So, I put the gravy back in the fridge, added biscuits to the grocery list and then went back to cleaning out the fridge.  The only problem was that I really wanted some of that gravy.  I tried to tell myself that I’d buy biscuits  today and get to enjoy the gravy tomorrow.  Then it occurred to me that I had some of those AWESOME yeast rolls in the freezer. 

(picture from walmart.com)

These rolls, with the sausage gravy, were a match made in heaven.  I made four rolls so that when someone else decides they want to finish the gray, there is bread to go with it. 

About these rolls:  The brand is Sister Shubert’s.  They are already baked yeast rolls that you keep in your freezer.  All you have to do is put them in an oven heated to 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.  This means that as you are finishing the amazing dinner that you’re cooking for your family and you all of a sudden realize that this dinner would have been perfect if you had just remembered the bread, you pull these out of the freezer and pop them into the oven.  They only take about as long to cook as it takes to fix drinks and plates.  They are perfect, and they taste incredible.  Just make sure you buy the bag that looks exactly like the one pictured here.  There are some variations of rolls and this one is definitely the best.  We accidentally got a different bag a few weeks ago and it was a total disappointment, not because they weren’t also good, but because we LOVE THESE so much.

Dear Mom, thanks for introducing me to these AWESOME ROLLS so many years ago!

Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Let me preface this post by saying that in general, I am not a very big fan of chicken.  I don’t think it has a very good natural flavor, and I think raw chicken is the worst raw meat to deal with.  However, even though it’s not my favorite I do generally like chicken that has been pounded and sautéed. 
All this is to say that a couple of days ago I made Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and it turned out amazing! 
It started because I wanted to make spaghetti squash for dinner.  Generally, I brown ground beef and add it to marinara along with sautéed mushrooms.  But, on this night, I needed to use some chicken that was in the fridge.  I had always heard of Parmesan Crusted Chicken, but had never tried it.  It sounded like a dish that would go well with my spaghetti squash with marinara so I started where I always do.  I looked for a recipe by Alton Brown.  He didn’t have one, so I went to another chef I really like, Robin Miller.  Robin Miller makes EVERYTHING healthy.  Her Parmesan Crusted Chicken looked really good, and even better is that it was baked.  
Robin’s recipe has directions for parmesan crusted chicken and wasabi tomato sauce separately, so I used the chicken recipe and skipped the tomato sauce recipe so that I could use my own.  You can get the recipe here.
If you want to make it like I did, which my brother, my husband, my friend Aileen (who I cooked it for) and I all HIGHLY recommend.  I was able to use 4 whole chicken breasts (8 halves) with this recipe.  Follow all the directions for the chicken, except:
1.  Pound the chicken after cutting the breasts in half and before seasoning or coating. 

I don’t have a meat tenderizer, so I use a heavy wooden rolling pin.  (Make sure you rinse the chicken with water and dry it with a paper towel before doing anything.)  Lay the chicken on a flat surface (I use a large thin plastic cutting board).  Next, cover the chicken by laying a piece of saran wrap over the top.  This will help keep pieces of nasty raw chicken and nasty raw chicken juice from flying all over your kitchen (ewe!).  Next, beat those suckers.  It won’t take much to thin out the edges of the chicken (you just need to tenderize them), but it will take some power to force the thicker parts of the chicken into submission.  You won’t hurt the chicken.  This process is called tenderizing because that is exactly what you are doing.  The consistency of the chicken will change as you pound it.  Try to make it all about the same thickness, but remember that the most important thing is to make sure all the chicken is the same consistency when you are done. 

2.  Make sure to salt and pepper the chicken before coating it.

I know that the directions say this, but some people like to salt and pepper the flour instead.  Don’t be tempted to do this.  You will loose out on flavor if you don’t salt and pepper the chicken directly.

3.  Add garlic salt and oregano to the Panko bread crumbs and parmesan mixture before coating the chicken.

Panko bread crumbs are a Japanese style bread crumbs (I found them on the ethnic food aisle rather than with the other bread crumbs). 

(picture thanks to cactus-needle.blogspot.com)

I tasted them and didn’t think there was enough flavor, so I added garlic salt and oregano.  I’m not sure how much I added.  We’ll say 1 tsp. of each.  I would recommend adding some and then tasting the bread crumbs.  If they taste like really good garlic bread, then you’ve seasoned them properly.  (Season the bread crumbs before adding the parmesan cheese.)

4.  Use Fresh Parmesan Cheese.

If you don’t mind splurging just a bit, I would recommend using fresh parmesan cheese and grating it yourself.  I placed a measuring cup inside the bowl that held the bread crumbs so that as I grated the cheese into the measuring cup the fly-aways didn’t go to waste.

5.  Turn the chicken half-way through baking.

The chicken browns on the bottom, so if you turn it half-way though the cooking process the chicken will brown nicely on both sides.  Side note: when you need to turn things during the cooking process make sure to pull the pan all the way out of the oven and then close the oven door as soon as possible.  This will keep the oven from cooling off and then having to reheat during the cooking process, which will cause the food to take longer to cook.

This was the reward for my efforts (You can see that out of 8 halves of chicken breast only 3 are left):

 

I would love for you to try this and let me know what you think.  You can follow the rest of Robin’s recipe, or you can just whip up some spaghetti with your favorite sauce to go over it.

Fish Enchiladas

When I was a flight attendant for Frontier Airlines my favorite layover was LAX (Las Angeles) because every layover was the same.  You can read about it here.  The secret to my perfect day was the fish enchilada with green sauce from Wahoo’s Fish Tacos.  I thought Manhattan Beach was the only place in the world where Wahoo’s Fish Tacos existed.  I was naïve.  You can see all their locations here.  However, since there still isn’t a Wahoo’s in Oklahoma I had to figure how to out how to make my own fish enchiladas with green sauce, and this is what I came up with.

     

20 ounces of fish

28 ounce can of green chili enchilada sauce

8 flour tortillas

6 cups of shredded Colby/Jack cheese

I use cod, mahi-mahi or tilapia depending on what I’ve got.  Start by cooking the fish.  I season it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  (If you have a certain flavor you like on your fish then you should try that.) 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour some of the enchilada sauce into a pan and then dip your tortillas into it.  (I wore gloves because I have a cold and didn’t want to get anyone else sick.)  Make sure you turn it over so that both sides are covered with sauce.

    

Next, put cheese and fish onto the tortilla and roll it up, then put it seam side down in a dish that is coated with enchilada sauce. 

Once you fill the pan (I use two 8x8 pans that hold four enchiladas each.) pour enchilada sauce on top and then cover with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

I like to chop cilantro and cup up an avocado to go on top of the enchiladas.  Jason likes sour cream, so you can add whatever you like.  I steamed broccoli to go with the enchiladas, and they were delicious!

 

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

is the title of a Food Network Show that I love to watch.  While watching I always wonder, “If I were asked to be on this show, what would I say?”  Today, I figured it out. 

It all started with my search for the perfect chili recipe.  I wanted to make chili for our big storm that was coming this past Tuesday and Wednesday.  Since I had never actually made chili before, I wasn’t sure where to start.  So, I started where I always do - with Alton Brown.  The recipe was on a video for pressure cooker chili, so I wrote down his ingredients and then searched out some other recipes to know how long chili generally needs to cook in a slow cooker.  While searching I found a recipe for Chili-Corn Casserole.  I saved the recipe for the casserole in case I wanted to visit it later. 

I went to the store, gathered the ingredients, went home and got started.  Here’s how Alton Brown did it.

(If the frame disappears, just click the arrow.)

I ended up doubling the recipe, and with 3 guys and myself there was only a cup and half of chili left.  It was just enough for the casserole recipe so I hid it in the freezer, but more on the casserole later.  Alton’s recipe is amazing.  Don’t skip any ingredients.  The only thing I tweaked was that I added about 1 cup of brown sugar.  It made the chili melt in your mouth.  It was the perfect blend of flavors.  Since I didn’t have the pressure cooker lid, the only thing about the cooking that changed is that once the meat was browned I moved it to the crock pot.  Once I finished browning all the meat I used the beer to get the meat stuff off the bottom of the pan and then went ahead and added all my other ingredients to the pan and let them simmer for a minute so all the flavors would come together.  Shortly after, I poured the contents of the pan into the crock pot and cooked it on high for 5-6 hours.  I helped myself to several taste tests throughout the day, and it definitely got better the longer it cooked.  Oh, and I added the brown sugar at the very end.  I used light brown sugar. 

With a cup and half of chili leftover I decided to revisit the Chili-Corn Casserole recipe.  So, I went back and read a little deeper.  As it turns out, I had no desire to shuck the kernels off of fresh corn, and since I don’t even know what polenta is, I decided to take the idea of the Chili-Corn Casserole and give it my own twist.  (If you want to check out the original Chili-Corn Casserole recipe you can find it here.)

I turned to a recipe given to me by my friend Gay Elkin.  It’s a corn casserole that her grandmother gave to her.  You mix 1 can of cream corn, 1 can whole kernel corn drained, 1 1/2 sticks of butter (I only used 1 stick of butter), 1 box Jiffy Muffin Mix, (it calls for chili peppers and chopped onions, but I skipped those), 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, and 1-2 cups of cheese (hers calls for cheese mixed in recipe and then covering top, but I didn’t mix in the cheese.).  You cook it at 350-375 degrees for 1 hour.  Gay also recommends using bacon grease in the bottom of the baking dish.

While my bacon grease was heating in my glass 7.5 x 9.5 inch baking dish I mixed all the ingredients (except the cheese).  Before adding anything to the baking dish I swirled the hot grease around the dish, getting as close to the edge as possible.  First, I added half of the mixture to the hot baking dish,  I covered that with 1 cup of shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese.  I then put the chili on top of that.  ( I would probably recommend more than a cup and a half of chili, but it’s all I had, and it was still amazing!) I then poured the rest of the mixture on top of the chili and another cup of cheese on top of that.  I baked it at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes (because I was starving and couldn’t wait the entire hour).  I covered it with foil about half-way through the cooking process to keep the cheese from browning too much.  It came out perfect!  It was bubbly and beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.  I let it set for a couple of minutes and then filled my bowl.  I took my first bite and in that moment I knew… I knew that if I was ever asked, “What’s the best thing you ever ate?” I would know. 

Jason’s Golden Birthday Celebration

This year was Jason’s Golden Birthday.  He turned 29 on December 29. 

Jason isn’t one who enjoys going all out for his birthday, but he did request strawberry cake.  I was more than happy to oblige.  My favorite homemade cake recipe is one that I created sometime around 2004.  I created it because I have always loved two of the three components in Angel Food Cake.  I love the sugar strawberries and the whipped cream.  I’m not so crazy for the sponge cake part.  So, I took a yellow cake mix, baked it, and prepared the strawberries by cutting them into small bite-sized pieces and covering them with sugar.  Once the cake had cooled and the strawberries had produced their syrup I poked holes throughout the cake and poured the liquid over it.  Once the liquid was drained I spread the strawberries over the cake.  I then took one small tub of Cool Whip and used a mixer to mix it with one tub of chocolate icing.  I then iced the cake with it.  I’m not kidding, it’s the best thing you’ll ever eat! (If you like that kind of stuff.)

Jason doesn’t like chocolate, so I created a strawberry version.  I used strawberry cake mix instead of chocolate and fresh whipped cream (not mixed with any icing) as frosting.  I cut the 9x13 cake in half and put the strawberries between the layers. Jason LOVED it.  I thought it was wonderful until I wrote on it.

Our next move was to Henry Hudson’s for cheese fries.  A few of Jason’s friends met up with us there.

Happy Birthday Honey.  I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Every year since Jason and I got married, that would be 2, so basically, last year and then again this year, I made chocolate covered pretzels for neighbors and friends.  Last year I melted the chocolate in bowls and then spooned it onto the pretzel rods.  This year, I got smart.  I heated the chocolate in paper coffee cups (made to hold hot liquid) and just dipped them.  (Please forgive my ungloved hand.  Next year I PROMISE I will wear gloves.)

If you would like to make this wonderful goodness yourself you will need bags of chocolate chips and bags of pretzel rods.  The ratio is either two bags of chocolate chips to every one bag of pretzel rods, or one bag of chocolate chips to every two bags of pretzel rods.  I really wish I could remember which ratio it is.  If you don’t want to wait until 2011 Christmas posts you will just have to plan two trips to the store. (Sorry.) 

I like to use white chocolate chips.  This year I used red and green sprinkles.  Last year I used food coloring so that we had red and green pretzels.  You can do whatever your heart desires with white chocolate.  Jason and I also believe the white chocolate tastes better than the dark and milk chocolate covered pretzels.

To start, just pour one third of a bag of chocolate chips into a paper coffee cup or a deep mug.  Put in microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir,  Place back in microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir.  The chocolate will continue to melt as you stir.  You don’t want to overheat it. 

Next, just tilt the cup and rotate the pretzel rod in the chocolate (as seen above).  Place on wax paper, sprinkle and let dry.  Eat all the broken ones and Enjoy.

Thanksgiving At Our House

Jason and I hosted Thanksgiving.  The food was amazing, if I do say so myself.  I basically had an Alton Brown Thanksgiving.  (If you don’t know the name “Atlon Brown” then I plead with you to search your channel guide, find the show “Good Eats” on Food Network, and start watching it.  It will change your life. Here is a sample:)

Back to Thanksgiving:

This is the turkey recipe I used:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html. 

The green been casserole:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/not-your-mamas-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

The brussels sprouts: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

The cranberry sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tart-cranberry-dipping-sauce-recipe/index.html

Mom made the stuffing, so I can’t help you with that.  I just know that the turkey and green been casserole were incredible!

The secret to my successful hosting was something I’ve learned from working on the airplane.  (More about my job is coming soon.)  I made everything the night before and put it in throw away oven tins.  Then, on Thanksgiving day, after I took the turkey out of the oven, I just turned the oven to 375 degrees and put all the tins in for about an hour.  The turkey had to sit anyway, so it worked out perfectly.  I served dinner on nice Chinett plates and set the table with nice Chinett silverware and glasses, so the only thing that had to be washed were the serving utensils.  It was awesome!  Maybe next year I’ll use my china, or maybe not…

A Lesson from Grandmother

Unless you knew my Grandmother Lyday you will not understand how special is this note.  Please see my cousin’s post for a bit of background.  I don’t really believe in coincidences, one example of why is that Miranda wrote her post 8 hours before I read it.  8 hours later I am cleaning out my email inbox.  I decide to start at the back, and what do I find?  I find an email from my Grandpa and Gramma Parker dated January 1, 2001.  The subject line states, “Hand written note in Grandmother's hand writing”.  Attached is a word document that reads:

THERE OUGHT TO BE A LESSON IN THIS LOAF OF BREAD!!

1. Let’s start with this jar of “starter”. Here am I. Like this yeast, I am so busy, going here and there, just as this yeast mixture is continually working, going nowhere, not getting bigger, not getting better, not useful.

2. My Lord picks me up, stirs me up well, measures out one cup of starter. He adds some ingredients that will help me in the scriptures, concern, sympathy, love, knowledge, understanding and caring.

3. That doesn’t mean life is easy. On the contrary, He lays me out on the “world” with some more flour that I need. He pushes me this way and that, working into me just what I need to become soft, pliable, smooth textured and useable. He’s not mad at me. He’s working with me because He cares.

4. Then, you know what? He sets me aside to give me a chance to grow. That doesn’t mean that I should sit down and do nothing. With the Lord’s help I must grow, I must do my part, so I can double in size and be worth something to someone. My Lord goes about His business, but He is watching me, just as I watch that hunk of flour, water, sugar, potato flakes and salt.

5. But, you know what? He punches me down again! Right there in that bowl. This time He is trying to work out all the pride, selfishness, and self-will that built up while I was growing.

6. I am divided into three parts – Home, Church, state. Then I am left to rise again.

7. When I have grown and matured and doubled in size, I’m put in the oven to be made ready for service. For, after all, what is a loaf of bread except to be eaten and to strengthen others. Even a loaf of bread is no good sitting on the shelf!

By Georgia Mae Brewer Lyday

Not dated – Printed 2009

I think the date should say 2000, but never mind.  My Grandmother Lyday was known for her homemade sourdough bread.  I don’t think we ever visited her when her house didn’t smell of fresh baked bread.  It was amazing.  I can still smell it.  I can still feel the warmth of it as the butter and honey melted all over the bread and onto my plate.  I remember the taste as if it was the last thing I ate.  My Aunt Karol has taken the starter and kept the tradition alive.  I always look forward to the bite that takes me back. 

If we could all leave a legacy like hers the world would be much more perfect place.